New NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman knew she wanted to work in sports from the time she was 16 years old. Sitting beside a fan in a suit and another in jeans and a baseball cap at a New York Islanders game, Berman watched as the crowd erupted and the fans hugged each other after an Islanders goal.

Following the game, she asked the two people if they knew each other. They did not.

“The only thing that united them in that moment was their love for the Islanders, and I decided I had to work in sports,” Berman said Wednesday during her introductory press conference with the NWSL. “That moment was the moment I decided that sports has a platform that is unique among other cultural elements, and I think at this time, in this moment, women’s sports has that perhaps more so than any other sport.”

When Berman steps in for five-month interim CEO Marla Messing and begins her new role on April 20, she plans to foster the same level of unity she saw that day at the Islanders game. Her first priority is to form a strong relationship between the league and the NWSL Players Association. After a year in which multiple coaches were fired amid abuse allegations, an owners dispute dragged out publicly for months and players criticized the NWSL front office for a lack of transparency under former commissioner Lisa Baird, Berman knows the league has a lot of work to do to earn back players’ trust.

“I like to think that everyone has a superpower,” she said. “My superpower, I believe, is building consensus and really listening and learning and trying to understand different people’s perspectives.

“I would really want to seek to understand and learn the context of what is the underpinning of any of those challenges and then work to figure out solutions. I believe that working together with all the stakeholders, we can combat almost anything.”

The former NHL executive said she isn’t afraid to push back on the NWSL owners and to stand up for what the players want. In fact, she believes that mindset is why she landed the job, since players played a key role in the search and hiring process.

“Consensus-building doesn’t mean everybody always gets what they want; it means that they understand the context and the rationale for why we need to make a particular decision,” Berman said.

Berman has learned how to lead through adversity during the 13 years she spent at the NHL and the two and a half years she served as deputy commissioner and executive vice president of business affairs of the National Lacrosse League. Before joining the NLL, she had a front-row seat to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s communications with the board of governors, an experience she believes has prepared her for this next challenge.

“That’s the job of the commissioner: to help the teams really understand and the board to really understand the broader context for why and how decisions are being made,” she said.

There's a new sheriff in town 🙌@JessicaBerman1 has been named the new commissioner of the @NWSL. Berman will begin her four-year term as commissioner on April 20th. pic.twitter.com/SeR9xmUnIa

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) March 9, 2022

Berman will serve a four-year term as commissioner, but she’s intent on building trust with the players now while there are no outstanding urgent tasks, such as the collective bargaining agreement the league and NWSLPA ratified on Jan. 31.

Just as she does at 10 a.m. every Tuesday in the National Lacrosse League, Berman will set up standard meetings where NWSLPA representatives can bring forward issues or questions. She and NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke have already arranged weekly calls.

“Those are the things that, in my experience, build trust,” Berman said. “It doesn’t mean we’ll always be able to agree, doesn’t mean we’ll always be able to reach solutions at every turn, but we will have discussions openly and transparently. We will be professional and respectful.”

If there’s ever a need for a neutral arbitrator in discussions, Berman will make that happen — whatever it takes to help the NWSL and Players Association maintain a relationship, she said.

When asked about the league’s relationship with Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC), a non-profit created by the Black players in the NWSL to advance opportunities for Black girls in sport, Berman referenced her personal background. Growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y. sparked Berman’s “obsession,” as she calls it, with breaking down barriers and recognizing privilege.

“This is an area I’m interested in, focused on, always wanting to learn, make sure we’re informed by subject matter experts,” she said, adding that she spoke to BWPC board member Midge Purce on Tuesday about diversity in the league.

We finish up one chapter @nll in April, while moving ahead to the next exciting one soon with @NWSL. Thanks @CBSMornings for the kickoff & to all for the warm welcome! Lots to learn, a lot of listening, & great days ahead on & off the pitch! #NWSL https://t.co/G2ZYP8Swwi

— Jessica Berman (@JessicaBerman1) March 9, 2022

The Players’ Commissioner Search Committee included Burke, Crystal Dunn, Kaylie Collins, Jane Campbell, Bri Visalli, Nicole Barnhart, Emily Menges, Tori Huster. They didn’t have the authority to make decisions about candidates, but their opinions were taken into consideration.

“Hats off to the union for requesting [involvement] and to the Board of Governors for agreeing to have them be part of the process and have a seat at the table,” Berman said.

She met with the PA player representatives during two separate calls: one with the east group and the other with the west. Those conversations gave her a better understanding of their expectations are and how they envision working together going forward.

“It actually helped me to feel confident coming into the position,” she said.

After answering their questions — which Berman said were thoughtful, engaging and passionate — she had the opportunity to ask some of her own, allowing her to dig into how the players believe the league can move forward and the ways in which they want to see that happen.

“I appreciate the enormity of the task at hand,” she said. “I would only really do it if I felt like I had the tools and the skill set to come forward and help this league to achieve its success.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.